Plucked string musical instrument



Aug. 1931.

Filed July 2. 1928 Patented Au 18, 1931 'UMTED TA rmiivx xoamcx, oronroeeo, ILLnioj S, Assicnon or CHICAGO, rumors, A conronnrron or rumorsTO. emit; MUSICAIi mum-E JELUCKEI) straine MUSICAL restateme- L Y Y 1Application fi1edJ u1y.2, pThe objectiofthis invention is to provideaplucked string musical instrument of improved'tone qualit and in whichthe musical tones produce by the vibration of the strings are enrichedand the resonance of i the instrument is enhanced by increasing thenaturalharmonics or over-tones produced when the strings are vibrated. 7Numerous other objects and advantages of athe invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, ,which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof. I

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 isa' perspective view of a pluckedstring musical instrument constructed pursuantto the invention; and I 1/Fig 2 is a detailed plan view of the finger ;20 board, showing theimproved combination 1 and arrangementof the strings.

I; The-plucked string instruments ShOWllxlIl ,the drawings may betermed, tor COIlVGIl1-' ence, a tenor.guitar, although it-may be playedaccording to the tuning in a variety of other ways, for example, asabanjo, a ukelele', or a mandolin.

' The guitar 11 comprises a, hollow sound ;box: or body 12, in the belly13 of which is 30 provided a sound hole 14 located underneath betweenthe lower end of the the strings 15 and the bridge 16. Theneck .117ofthe guitar extends from the top of the I sound box 12 to the scroll orhead 18. The finger board 15 is mounted on top of the neck ;17-andeXtends-thereover from the base of the scroll 18 and over-the belly-,ot'the instrument substantially to the sound hole 14. As shown, thescroll 18 is inclined backwardthe usual manner from the neck 17and topof the finger board 15. If desired, the

I fingeringot the instrument in playing may a .be assisted bya pluralityof'frets 19 which 1 mark, the tone positions of difierent pitch on I 15v the ifinger board.

-, The strings are secured at their'upper ends tothe tuning pins 20which may be operated in the ordinary mannerby tuning pegs. 21.

\ From the tuning pins 20: the-strings are 5 strung over thefinger board15 and bridge 16 1928. Serial no; 289,837;

mounted on the belly ofthe instrumentand are secured at their lower endsto the tail piece 28 which is mountedat the bottom of the body or soundbox 12 and projects over the belly 13.

In a string instrument of the type shown in the drawings, the musicaltones are produced plucking the strings either with the fingers or aplectrum to set the strings in vibration. The various intervals andtones of thescale'are attained in playing by the usual method offingering the strings on the finger board 15..-

The illustrative instrument provides an improved combination of thestrings which increases the natural harmonics of the fundamental-tonesproduced in playing and thus enriches andbeautifies the tone quality ofthe instrument. For convenience in illustrating thenovel stringcombination pro-- vided by the invention, the drawing shows anapplication thereof to an eight-string instrument of the plucked stringtype. vThese strings comprise the four principal strings 24, 25,26, 27and four auxiliary strings 24, 25, 26" and 27. The principal strings aretuned in intervals of perfect fifthsand' comprise string 24 of pitch a;string 25 of pitch d; string-26 of pitch 9; and'string' 27 of pitch '0.The auxiliary strings are respectively mounted with, the principalstrings so as to'constitute pairs of:

the strings are tuned in the following mannerzn Principal string 24 is atenor banjo A string, tuned to-pitch a; auxiliary string 24 is a tenorbanjo A string tuned to itch a; principal string 25 is atenor jo D=string tuned topitch d; aux-= strings with said principal strings, whichiliary string 25 is a tenor banjo D string tuned to pitch (5; principalstring 26 is a tenor banjo G string tuned to pitch 9; auxiliary string26 is a tenor banjo A string tuned to pitch g; principal string 27 is atenor banjo C string tuned to pitch 0; and auxiliary string 27 is atenor banjo 1) string tuned to pitch a.

Principal strings 24c and 25 of the instrument are provided withauxiliary strings 2 t and 25. Because of the relatively higher pitch ofthe first and second strings, however, it may be preferable to employfor their auxiliary strings 2a and 25, strings of the same fundamentaltone, as the principal strings 2i and 25, and to tune such auxiliarystrings 2i and 25 so as to sound in unison with the first and secondprincipal strings of the instrument. Thus the pairs of first and secondstrings 2424 and and 25-25 both sound the same fundamental tones a and(Z,.and the strings of each pair both produce harmonics in the sameseries. The use of pairs of strings tuned in unison in the higherstrings of the instrument, however, doubles the volume of tone producedby these higher strings, thereby enriching and beautifying the tonequality.

The principal string '26, which may be tuned to the pitch g, may haveits fundamental note and its harmonics produced by its own vibrationenriched in like manner by its companion auxiliary string 26. For theauxiliary string 26 an A string may-be provided whose fundamental notecorresponds in pitch with the first string 2i of the instrument. Theauxiliary string 26 is raised in pitch one whole octave, however, so asto .sound the note g, or an octave above the fundamental tone 9 ofprincipal string 26.

As both the principal and auxiliary strings 27 and 27 also sound, inaddition to their fundamental notes, their own natural harmonics,according to the usual laws affecting the vibration of the strings, thefundamental note of the principal string 27 is enriched not only by itsown natural harmonics, but also by the fundamenal note C in alto of theauxiliary string 27 together with the harmonics sounded by the auxiliarystring. The harmonics of the auxiliary string are, for example, C inaltissimo, its second harmonic, next, G in alt-issimo, the perfect fifthabove and so on in the ascending series. It is evident that thiscombination of the two strings 27 and 27, which are soundedsimultaneously, greatly enriches and beautifies the tones produced bythe vibration of principal string 27.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood fr-om the foregoing description, and

it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form,construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferredembodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination, asound box or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck, the scrollabove the neck, the finger board extending over the neck and vibratorystrings strung in pairs from the scroll over the finger board, sound boxand bridge to the tail piece, said pairs of strings being arranged forsimultaneous vibration of the respective two strings thereof in theplaying of the instrument, the pairs of strings of lower pitch eachconsisting of a main string for sounding the fundamental tone and anauxiliary string of a pitch a perfect eighth .above the fundamental toneof the main string, said auxiliary string being tuned a whole octaveabove its fundamental to sound simultaneously when played with said mainstring, the harmonic of the latter, and the pairs of strings of higherpitch, each constituting two strings having the same fundamental pitchtuned to sound in unison.

2. A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination, asound box or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck, the scrollabove the neck, the finger board extending over the neck and vibratorystrings strung in combination from, the scroll over the finger board,sound box and bridge to the tail piece, said combination of stringsbeing arranged for simultaneous vibration of the respective stringsthereof in the playing of the instrument, the combinations of strings oflower pitch each including a main string for sounding the fundamentaltone, and an auxiliary string of a higher pitch tuned to sound theharmonic of said main string when played simultaneously with said mainstring, and the combinations of strings of higher pitch having theseveral strings of the respective groups tuned to sound in unison.

A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination, a soundbox or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck, the scroll above theneck, the finger board extending over the neck and vibratory stringsstrung in pairs from the scroll over the finger board, sound box andbridge to the tail piece, said pairs of strings being arranged forsimultaneous vibration of the respective two strings thereof in theplaying of the instrument, the pairs of strings of lower pitch eachconsisting of a main string for sounding the fundamental tone, and anauxiliary string of a higher pitch tuned to sound, when played with saidmain I extending over the string, a harmonic of the latter and the pairsof strings of higher pitch, each constituting two strings having thesame fundamental pitch tuned to sound in unison.

4. A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination asound box or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck, the scrollabove the neck, the finger board neck and vibratory strings strung inpairs from the scroll over the finger board, sound box and bridge tosaid strings being so arranged of each pair in the playing of theinstrument, and pairs of said strings consisting of a main string forsounding the fundamental tone, and an auxiliary string of a pitch aperfect eighth above the fundamental tone of the main string, saidauxiliary string being tuned a whole octave above its fundamental tosound simultaneously when played with said main string, the harmonic ofthe latter.

5. A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination, asound box or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck,

the scroll above the neck, the finger board extending over the neck andvibratory strings strung intpairs from the scroll over the finger board,sound box and bridge to the tail piece, said strings being so arrangedfor simultaneous vibration of thetwo strings of each pair in the playingof the instru ment, and pairsof said strings consisting of a main stringforsounding the fundamental tone and an auxiliary string of a pitchhigher than said fundamental tone and tuned to sound the harmonic ofsaid main string when played simultaneously with the latter.

. 6. A plucked string musical instrument comprising, in combination, asound box or body, the tail piece, the bridge, the neck,

the scroll above the neck, the fingerboard extending over the neck andvibratory strings strung in combinations from the scroll over the fingerboard, sound box and bridge to the tail piece, said strings beingarranged in combinations for simultaneous vibration of the severalstrings of each combination in the playing of the instrument,

and a plurality of said string combinations each including a main stringfor sounding the fundamental tone, and an auxiliary string tuned tosound simultaneously with said main string, the harmonic of the latter.

7 A pluckedstring musical instrument I comprising, in combination, asound box or scroll above the neck, the finger body, the tail piece, thebridge, the neck, the

board extending over the neck andvibratory strings strung incombinations from the scroll over the finger board, sound box and bridgeto the tail piece, said strings being arranged in combinations forsimultaneous vibration of the several strings of each combination in theplaying of the instrument, and a plurality of said string combinationsconsisting of a main string for sounding the funda mental tone and anauxiliary string tuned to sound with said main string a harmonicinterval of the tone sounded by said main string.

8. A guitar type musical instrument, in which the strings are strung inpairs for simultaneous vibration of the two strings of each pair in theplaying of the instrument, the pairs of strings of the lower registereach consisting of a main string for sounding the fundamental tone andan auxiliary string tuned to sound the harmonic of said main string, andthe pairs of strings of the upper register, each comprising two stringshaving the same fundamental pitch tuned to sound in unison.

9. A guitar type musical instrument, in which the strings are strung incombinations for simultaneous vibration of the several strings of eachcombination in the playing of the instrument, and a plurality of saidstring combinations including a main string for sounding the fundamentaltone, and an auxiliary string higher in pitch than said main string andtuned to sound simultaneously with said main string, the harmonic of thelatter.

10. A guitar type musical instrument, in which the strings are strung incombinations for simultaneous vibration of the several strings of eachcombination in the playing of the instrument, and a plurality of saidstring combinations including a main string for sounding the fundamentaltone,'and an auxiliary string higher in pitch than said main string andtuned to sound simultaneously with said main string, a harmonic of thelatter.

11. A guitar type musical instrument, com- FRANK KORDICK.

